On Deck:

They also happen to be exactly 20 games over .500 against teams at .500 or with losing records.

The Padres are 32-12 against those teams and 28-28 against teams with winning records entering Friday night's opener of a three-game series against the 51-51 Florida Marlins at Petco Park (7:05 p.m.; TV: 4 San Diego).

The Padres are 5-1 against the Marlins in two trips to the greater Miami area. Included in the total is one of three losses pinned on Cy Young Award candidate Josh Johnson this season.

It behooves the Padres to finish the six-game homestand strong against the Marlins.

Starting next Monday, the Padres play 17 of their next 20 games on the road -- starting with four games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

Friday night also marks the debut of Miguel Tejada in a Padres uniform.

Padres left-hander Wade LeBlanc will be pitted against the Marlins' Chris Volstad Friday.

LeBlanc will be facing the Marlins for the first time this season. He is 2-4 with a 2.36 ERA in 10 starts at Petco Park this season and is 3-5 with a 2.42 ERA in 15 career starts at Petco Park. LeBlanc picked up the win in Pittsburgh last Sunday to snap a personal four-game losing streak.

LeBlanc has given up nine homers in his last six starts after allowing only five homers in his first 12 starts.

Volstad, 23, is 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds and in his only other start at Petco Park picked up a win allowing one run on four hits over seven innings. But he has lost two games to the Padres in Florida and is overall 1-2 against the Padres with a 6.14 ERA in three starts.

Volstad is 2-4 on the road this season with a 6.38 ERA in eight starts and is 0-1 over the last month with a 8.00 ERA. Left-handed hitters are batting .286 against Volstad with a .336 on-base percentage.